ALA, Unite Against Book Bans share Right to Read Day theme and actions

CHICAGO – The American Library Association and Unite Against Book Bans invite the community to participate in Right to Read Day, taking place April 7, the Monday of National Library Week.

The theme this year is “Drawn to Freedom” building upon National Library Week’s theme of “Drawn to the Library.” Right to Read Day 2025 honors not just the freedom to read, but the other opportunities libraries provide -- the freedom to access information, the freedom to find community, the freedom to learn, and so much more.

Right to Read Day was launched in 2023 to encourage public action on behalf of libraries, which are facing an unprecedented deluge of censorship attempts. The event coincides with the release of ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books list and the State of America’s Libraries Report.

“Now in its third year, we commemorate Right to Read Day and ask everyone to celebrate and defend the freedoms that are found in our libraries,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said.

Right to Read Day Actions:

• Send a postcard to your local library workers thanking them for supporting and defending the freedoms found in libraries
• Check out a challenged book
• Contact decision makers using the Unite Against Book Bans action toolkit
• Register to vote.
• Report censorship to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom
• Consider making a donation to the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, which provides financial support to library professionals facing discrimination and threats to their employment for defending the right to read

Acclaimed award-winning graphic novelist Nate Powell (March trilogy and Run, with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin; Swallow Me Whole; Fall Through; Save It for Later) designed the artwork for this year’s Right to Read Day.

“Libraries embody the promise of a free society serving its community,” Powell said, “I wanted to highlight the library's role in providing access to cooking classes, tool and seed libraries, recording and performance spaces, voter registration and tax preparation resources, public internet access, and the immeasurable value of having a shared space with neighbors."

For Right to Read Day, Unite Against Book Bans is working with our partners on a social media campaign dedicated to creating art that celebrates libraries. Everyone is encouraged to create drawings, videos, and other art that celebrates the freedoms found in libraries or by sharing Right to Read Day social media graphics. Participants should follow and tag Unite Against Book Bans on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook. Use the hashtags #RightToReadDay and #DrawnToFreedom in posts. ALA and Unite Against Book Bans thanks Authors Against Books Bans, Macmillan Publishers, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for their invalualble support of the social media campaign and Right to Read Day.

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About Unite Against Book Bans

Unite Against Book Bans is an initiative of the American Library Association, with more than 200 national, state, and local partner organizations and tens of thousands of individual supporters, Unite Against Book Bans connects, equips, and mobilizes the public to advocate in their communities for the right to read and to defeat attempts at every level of government to censor reading material.